Cast This: Nightmare (Doctor Strange)

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

After first being introduced as the Sorcerer Supreme nearly three years ago, Doctor Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) will soon return for DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS, a rockin' title if ever I heard one. While speaking at San Diego Comic-Con this summer, director Scott Derrickson teased that the DOCTOR STRANGE sequel will be the first horror movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

When I came and talked to [Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige] about doing a sequel, I said, ‘I don’t want to do just another sequel. If I’m going to do it, it needs to go into the territory that drew me into the Doctor Strange comics in the first place’ – which is how they dipped into the gothic and the horror and the horrific. And we’re going to make the first scary MCU movie.

There's been no official confirmation, but it's a very good bet that Scott Derrickson will be making use of Nightmare for the sequel. The villain, who appeared in Doctor Strange's very first adventure in Strange Tales #110 back in 1963, is an ancient entity who has the ability to draw power from the psychic energies of the subconscious minds of dreaming beings. Derrickson has made no secret of his love of Nightmare and the whole concept of the Nightmare Realm, in fact, there had been talk of using the villain in the first DOCTOR STRANGE film before it was decided that the idea was too complex to be introduced at that stage in the game. "We decided not to do that because that’s a bit of a complex idea to try to introduce everything we do introduce and introduce the idea of nightmares themselves as being a dimension," Derrickson said. "I hope somewhere down the line we do get to explore that because I think that’s super cool concept."

Casting the villain is always a lot of fun, and Nightmare is no exception. As usual, I'll toss out a few suggestions to get you started. For my first choice, I'd love to see Andrew Scott (Fleabag) take on the role of Nightmare, but I'll admit that this may seem slightly gimmicky thanks to Scott having previously played the villain Moriarty to Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock on the BBC series. That said, I'd still be a fan. Earlier this year, BossLogic posted a fan-poster for DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS on Twitter which featured Eva Green (DUMBO) as Nightmare, and I've got to say, I am absolutely onboard with that idea. When she wants to, Green can positively ooze spookiness, and I've no doubt that she would crush this role. For my final suggestion, I'll go with an actor whose career isn't quite at the height it once was, but deserves the chance of a big-screen redemption: Adrien Brody (THE PIANIST).

Remember, you're free to suggest anyone in the comments, so let your inner casting director run wild!

Previously on Cast This, you were asked to fill the role of She-Hulk for the upcoming Disney+ series. You seemed to spark to the suggestions of Kate Siegel and Rosario Dawson, but as usual, you came through with plenty of great choices yourselves, including Betty Gilpin (Glow), Alexandra Daddario (BAYWATCH), and Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica).